Image: Joseph Wang/UC San Diego
The propulsion mechanism itself consists of a spurt of hydrogen bubbles. This jet is result of a chemical reaction between the zinc of the nanorocket, and the stomach's usual bath of gastric acid. As demonstrated in a recent set of experiments by nanoengineers at the University of California, the rocket itself is destroyed by its own acidic fuel source, leaving only a payload. It was a rare demonstration of molecular nanomachines, built via a process of molecular templating, at work in vivo."Among the variety of recently developed artificial micromotors, our recently reported zinc-based motors hold great promise for in vivo use, particularly for gastric drug delivery, because of their unique features, including acid-powered propulsion, high loading capacity, autonomous release of payloads, and nontoxic self-destruction," the UC researchers recently reported in the journal ACS Nano.By "payload," what's meant mostly is drugs. The ability to selectively target tumors is a game changer in cancer treatment, potentially limiting chemotherapy side effects while boosting drug effectiveness. With a good targeting system, we might imagine administering just thousandths of a current chemo dose. No more all-or-nothing."Our results demonstrate that the self-propulsion of the micromotors leads to a dramatically improved retention of their payloads in the stomach lining compared to the common passive diffusion and dispersion of orally administrated payloads," the ACS study continues. "While additional in vivo characterizations are warranted to further evaluate the performance and functionalities of various man-made micromotors in living organisms, this study represents the very first step toward such a goal."
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